The European Union's Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson on Monday blamed the United States for the collapse of the world trade talks, accusing Washington of refusing to show sufficient flexibility over farm trade.

"Everybody" had been flexible "except the United States," Mandelson said after the talks in which the United States, the European Union, Australia, Brazil, India and Japan failed to reach an agreement on farm subsidies.

"The United States was unwilling or unable to show any flexibility on the issue of farm subsidies," Mandelson said.

The United States said its offer to reduce subsidy limits by 60 percent was significant, but trade rivals disagreed and said the cuts did not affect real spending.

"The European Union deeply regrets this," Mandelson said, adding that he felt "profound disappointment and sadness" at the suspension of the talks.

The deadlock would leave the 149-state World Trade Organisation without enough time to complete the complex details of a global free trade treaty by the end of the year, diplomats warned.

Source: Xinhua